The present invention relates to data storage systems. In particular, the present invention relates to a slider design for supporting transducers for reading and writing information to a data disc.
Data storage systems are known which include transducers supported relative to a disc surface for reading and writing information. Known transducer elements include inductor-type transducers and magnetoresistive ("MR") transducer elements. The transducers are supported via a slider having a bearing surface for supporting the transducers above the disc surface for proximity recording. As the disc spins, air flows under the bearing surface to raise the slider (and transducer elements) relative to the disc surface to fly over the disc surface for read and write operations.
It is important for operation that the slider fly in close proximity to the disc surface to provide desired read and write resolution. During operation of the disc drive, the slider intermittently contacts the disc media. Contact between the disc surface and a MR head may cause thermal asperities. In particular, contact between the head and disc surface may heat the MR elements causing a large spike in the output of the MR element, which disrupts its ability to read data from the disc surface. A relatively smooth disc or media surface is used for MR proximity recording to reduce thermal asperities. Contact of the slider with the disc surface may wear the disc surface, causing debris to be removed or spattered from the disc surface. Wear debris loosened from a relatively smooth surface collects since there are no collection sites as provided by a textured disc surface and piles on the smooth surface which may cause thermal asperities, which may corrupt data written to the disc surface.